Cicely Tyson shattered stereotypes and pursued an incredible career. She refused to take parts that demeaned Black people and won a Tony, Emmys and an honorary Oscar. We have created a Timeline to commemorate her wonderful life.
Join Memories to request access to contribute your cherished photos, videos, and stories to Cicely's memorial with others who loved them.
Join MemoriesMary Carr Tyson was born in Harlem on December 19, 1924, the daughter of Frederica Tyson, a domestic worker, and William Augustine Tyson, who worked as a carpenter, painter, and at any other jobs he could find. She was one of three children.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson performed in the movie The Last Angry Man in 1959 as the Girl Left on the Porch.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson performed in the movie Odds Against Tomorrow in 1959 as a Jazz Club bartender.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson received Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance in 1962.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson performed in the film A Man Called Adam in 1966 as Claudia Ferguson.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson performed in the movie The Comedians in 1967 as Marie Therese.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson performed in the movie The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter in 1968.
Mary Carr Tyson and Yvonne Jarrell in “Sounder” (1972).
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson received a National Board of Review Award for Best Actress in 1972.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1972.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson performed in the movie Sounder in 1972 as Rebecca Morgan.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson received a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in 1972.
Mary Carr Tyson performed in the movie The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman in 1974 as Jane Pittman.
Mary Carr Tyson received a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama in 1974.
Mary Carr Tyson received the Primetime Emmy Award for Actress Of The Year - Special in 1974.
Mary Carr Tyson received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture in 1977.
Mary Carr Maya Angelou and Ms. Tyson in the 1977 mini-series “Roots.”
Mary Carr Tyson received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture in 1978.
Mary Carr Tyson performed in the movie The Concorde... Airport 79 in 1979.
Mary Carr Tyson dating Miles Davis in 1981.
Mary Carr Tyson performed in the movie Bustin Loose in 1981 as Vivian Perry.
Mary Carr Tyson performed in the movie The Marva Collins Story in 1981 as Marva Collins.
Mary Carr Davis and Tyson in 1982.
Mary Carr Tyson received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 1986.
Mary Carr Tyson married Miles Davis in 1989 in New York City.
Mary Carr Tyson performed in the movie Heat Wave in 1990 as Ruthana Richardson.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson performed in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes in 1991.
Mary Carr Tyson performed in the movie Hoodlum in 1997 as Stephanie St. Clair.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson on 6/23/1997 in New York City.
Mary Carr Tyson performed in the film Always Outnumbered in 1998.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson performed in Aftershock: Earthquake in New York in 1999 as Emily Lincoln.
Mary Carr Cicely Tyson performed in the movie A Lesson Before Dying in 1999 as Tante Lou.
Mary Carr Tyson was honored at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball.
Mary Carr She has also been honored by the Congress of Racial Equality, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the National Council of Negro Women.
Mary Carr The Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts, a magnet school in East Orange, New Jersey, was named after her in 2009.
Mary Carr Since the 1960s, Ms. Tyson had inspired Black American women to embrace their own standards of beauty.
Mary Carr James Earl Jones and Ms. Tyson in the Broadway revival of “The Gin Game.”
Mary Carr Tyson received five Emmy nominations for her guest-starring role on “How to Get Away with Murder.”
Mary Carr Tyson receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Mary Carr In 2018, Tyson was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. She was chosen to be inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame in 2020.
Mary Carr In 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Tyson would receive an honorary Academy Award. On November 18, 2018, Tyson became the first African-American woman to receive an honorary Oscar.
Mary Carr Tyson died on January 28, 2021, at the age of 96.
Mary Carr Tyson's memoir, Just As I Am, was published on January 26, 2021, two days before her death.